Analogue vs. Digital – Episode 021

Shownotes

We have crept into a world which is dominated by the digital, whether by accident or design. Many folks now find their lives much enriched by the possibilities that digital affords us; at the same time, some decry a loss of “soul” from a lot of what goes on in our lives.

While we can’t un-invent digital technologies, we can become a little more conscious and awake to how we integrate them into what we do. When looking at our use of technology, we would do well to consider the problem-solving opportunities that we can access, and also be mindful of the need for beauty and meaning.

Cold, hard technology may have led us to craft a world where “solutionism” reigns; looking at things as problems to be solved, absent meaning and culture.

Many people feel torn when their working lives demand greater interaction via digital means, often finding themselves defaulting to using email to send a message to someone in the next room, just because the technology is there. Over time, we begin to feel we are losing that buzz of human interaction.

As Matthew Taylor of the RSA said, “When the only way to cope at work is to leave your identity, values and human sympathies at home in the morning it is not surprising that many people feel demoralised and jaded.”

In this episode, we mull over the analogue and the digital, suggesting that we should advance into the future with our eyes open to the effects of technology.